The present mission of Rotary International is to, “Provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.”
One hundred years after forming, the Norwich Rotary Club has accomplished the mission locally, and continues to do so today.
According to the Norwich Sun of Jan. 29, 1924, “An organization meeting, a result of a representative group of Norwich men, was held Monday night at Hotel Norwich a 7 o’clock and followed by a dinner.” The club’s charter was presented on Feb. 18 that year with 21 members.
The idea of a Rotary Club in Norwich dated back several months, as the Sun reported on Oct. 29, 1923 that a meeting of business and professional men was held at the Norwich Club, to discuss the formation of a service club in the city.
“There were 27 votes favoring an organization, and those who had voted in the affirmative then went into executive session to decide on whether the Kiwanis or the Rotary idea should prevail. It was finally decided after a very earnest discussion to accept the Rotary idea.”
Fast-forwarding nearly 100 years, the Norwich Rotary Club met Tuesday at the Center City Bistro for a luncheon meeting, and took time to reminisce about the more recent 50 years. There were members present who had joined the club within the last five years, while others had been involved for nearly 50.
One of the discussions focused on the change in membership about 35 years ago, when women were admitted to the club. Marylou Stewart, then the director of the Chenango County Chamber of Commerce, was the first woman to join.
Ray Gregory started with the Norwich club around 1975, and one of the first events he got involved with was the Norwich annual Fourth of July celebration, with a deluxe version the following year to commemorate the nation’s bicentennial. Gregory still serves today as club treasurer.
“Another thing we did was pay for the letters on the (Chenango County) Courthouse,” Gregory continued, “when the courthouse went through a major renovation, and we also paid for the flagpole. The county sheriff was a member at that time, and made the suggestion.”
Gregory also said the club funded a re-wiring of electricity at East Park when it was remodeled, put money into a fund for the skating rink on North Broad Street. These were some of the most visible projects still seen today in the city.
One tradition that has been ongoing since the mid-20th century is the Rotary Youth Exchange program, where host families take in high school students from abroad and a few Norwich students are hosted overseas. Three families are hosting Sumira Sato, a student from Japan, who attended Tuesday’s luncheon.
Also on the educational front, the club sponsors the Rotary Youth Leadership Award, designed for youth to hone their leadership skills. Norwich Rotary also provided seed funding for local participation in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, to inspire a love for reading by giving books, free of charge, to children from birth to age 5.
Other members at the luncheon mentioned programs Rotary has sponsored or co-sponsored, such as the annual AMBA Blood Screening event, Fostering Futures, Dollars for Scholars, Habitat for Humanity, Shelter Boxes and the Norwich High School After-Prom Party.
A current major project taking shape is Aunt Mary’s House. Chris Smith, a member who wrote and secured a grant for the project, said the house will be a refuge for new and expectant mothers who would otherwise be at risk of homelessness or domestic violence. The grant will cover furniture, educational toys for young children, and provide baking and cooking classes for mothers. The house is expected to open later this year.
The Norwich Rotary Club will formally celebrate its centennial with an evening of food, music and company at 5:30 p.m. Friday, June 14 at the Canasawacta Country Club in Norwich. Tickets are $30 per person. For details contact Ann Smith at 607-336-5003 or email: norwichrotary4890@gmail.com.